Jagannath University students on Wednesday morning seized 10 Gabtoli Link (Pvt) Ltd buses and brought them to their campus following the alleged physical assault on a fellow student by the company's staffers.
The buses were brought from Jatrabari and stationed in front of the university’s Faculty of Science as part of the protest.
The victim, Kiron Kumar Robi Das, is a student of the Department of Chemistry from the 2023-24 academic session.
According to reports, Robi Das boarded a Gabtoli bus on Route 8 from Gulistan to Kallyanpur.
A dispute arose between multiple passengers and the bus conductor over the delay in departure, particularly as the time for iftar approached.
The situation escalated, leading to a physical altercation between the victim and the bus driver.
Following the altercation, while all other passengers were allowed to disembark after reaching their destinations, Robi Das was allegedly prevented from getting off at Kallyanpur.
He was allegedly held inside the bus, verbally abused, charged double fare and physically assaulted by the bus staff, who had called additional personnel to the scene.
He managed to escape by boarding a passing motorcycle.
Students expressed their outrage, pointing out that just two days prior, a female student of Jagannath University faced harassment on a Victor Classic bus.
They emphasized that while the Victor Classic bus was fined and released, the actions of the Gabtoli Link bus staff have crossed all limits.
They said they will ensure that no bus dares to mistreat their fellow students, asserting that these buses will not move an inch until justice is served.
Speaking on the incident, the victim, Kiran Kumar Robi Das, said: "I merely requested the bus to depart on time, just as other passengers did. However, I was singled out, detained and assaulted. Despite being innocent, I was subjected to violence. I demand a fair investigation and justice from the university administration."
A helper from Gabtoli Link (Pvt) Ltd acknowledged the wrongdoing, saying: "We always strive to accommodate students, but those responsible for this act have committed a serious offence. They should not have done this. Our company representatives are arriving to discuss the matter with the university administration. We seek a fair resolution."
Rubel, managing director of Gabtoli Link (Pvt) Ltd, commented: "We became aware of the incident last night. We did not anticipate such an unfortunate event. We will engage with the university administration to resolve the matter as soon as possible."
The owners of Gabtoli Link (Pvt) Ltd buses to sign a written commitment accepting five conditions and leaving one bus on campus while removing the rest.
On Wednesday afternoon, the commitment was signed in the office of the Chairman of the Chemistry Department in the presence of the department chairman, the proctor, and the bus owners.
The agreement said that by 11am on Sunday, the bus owners must present the accused driver Babu, helper Mukhtar, and lineman Kalu.
The owners also agreed to file attempted murder and abduction cases against the accused. One bus (Dhaka Metro Ba 11-8868) would remain seized. If a similar incident occurs in the future, the present bus owners will be held responsible. If the owners fail to present the accused, the present bus owners will also be held accountable.
Addressing the bus owners, Chemistry Department Chairman Professor Dr Abul Kalam Md Lutfor Rahman said: "You will settle this issue, but also instruct the helpers and drivers that if any student commits wrongdoing, they should report it to the university for justice. However, under no circumstances should they physically harm our students."
University Proctor Professor Dr Muhammad Tajammul Haque said that the bus owners have committed to presenting the accused by next Sunday, and until then, one of the accused bus owner's vehicles will remain on campus.
